Huancayo Carnival kicks off in Peru

20:50 | Huancayo (Junin region), Feb. 12.

The appearance of Ño Carnavalon, a big head figure that helps people say goodbye to bad vibes (a.k.a. King Momo), marked the beginning of central Huancayo city's Carnival joined by more than 70 folk dance groups.

On Sunday, people of all ages took the streets to watch the parade around the downtown area.

As is traditional, Huaylarsh —the original expression of carnival in Huancayo— stood out among all performances.

"People from Jauja province visited us this year, and those who love Huaylarsh were present as usual […]," Youth and Culture Institute head Jose Oregon Morales expressed.

It must be noted Huancayo's carnival prizes for this year totaled S/20,000 (about US$6,116).

The four award categories were: Old Huaylarsh, Modern Huaylarsh, Interculturality, and Floats.